The Closer You Get

For the lads of a sleepy Irish seaside town, America looms as the land of opportunity -- sexual opportunity, to be exact. And so, sodden with Guinness and sick with hope, they dash off a personal ad to the Miami Herald inviting "fit and sporty" Yankee babes to their annual St. Martha's Day dance. Immediately, their village turns topsy-turvy: with just a month to go before the big shindig, the men get makeovers, the women get crafty, and, in the process, everyone gets a wee bit smarter about love.

Backed by the producer of The Full Monty, first-time director Aileen Ritchie's precious but never preachy comedy falls steadfastly in line with the current vein of quaint and cuddly Irish cinema, so much so that a friend snickeringly re-dubbed it Wanking Ned Devine. But as familiar as the damp, velvety vistas and befuddled locals are, Ritchie's engaging ensemble -- in particular Ian Hart, Niamh Cusack, Cathleen Bradley, and Sean McGinley -- enlivens the sprightly tale. Amid the jolly humor and gentle insights about repression, resourcefulness, and romance, the darkest part of this winsome debut is the ale.

-- Alicia Potter